Fergie: Go for goals

UNITED have been told to give Premiership whipping boys Sunderland a good hiding. Sir Alex Ferguson believes the Reds are closing on Chelsea and upped the pressure with the message that his team will be out to improve their goal difference against the Wearsiders.

UNITED have been told to give Premiership whipping boys Sunderland a good hiding.

Sir Alex Ferguson believes the Reds are closing on champions Chelsea in the Premiership title race and upped the pressure on Jose Mourinho's men with the message that his form team will be out to improve their goal difference against the doomed Wearsiders at Old Trafford tonight.

United can close the leaders' advantage for just four points - having whittled away 14 of an 18-point lead in just 34 days.

"Chelsea know we are there, that's for sure," Ferguson declared. "They know if they do slip up then we are going to take our chance.

"Everyone knows we are the form team. We are playing very, very well."

Though United have narrowed Chelsea's lead, the Londoners have the better goal difference by eight.

But the Reds are the Premiership's top scorers with 66 goals and hapless Sunderland have the worst defence in the division, having conceded 57 goals.

Important

"The area we have to pay attention to now is the goal difference," Sir Alex said. "It may be important.

"I look back at the Birmingham and Newcastle games recently and the chances we missed and I hope we don't live to regret them.

"But every game we are making a lot of chances. We have to be really focused and take them as they come along."

Victory for red-hot favourites United tonight will officially condemn Sunderland to the drop and then the Reds will look to Bolton to do them another favour at the Reebok tomorrow against Chelsea.

Three years ago Sam Allardyce's Wanderers effectively handed United the 2003 title by drawing 2-2 with the Reds' title rivals Arsenal at the Reebok.

"We got a break in 2003 when Arsenal drew with Bolton. That was the result we were looking for at that time," recalled Ferguson. "I am hopeful. I am really hopeful that Bolton can do us a turn again."